South
[[The Four Directions|Back to the Four Directions '''main page]] [[West|Forward to '''WEST]] 'Traditional Associations with the SOUTH' Noon/Heat Youth, adulthood Prime Summer Red Blood Gravity Earth Rocks/mountains Green growing things Animals and insects Sexuality Fruitfulness Snake Cedar GMMC Associations with the SOUTH Black snake totem Fire Beaver (work/stability) The Southeast is PUBERTY Adolescence [[West|Forward to WEST]] . 'Thoughts on the South' GMMC Members: please add your own personal thoughts. Also, be sure to add more ideas to the lists above. Calling the Spirits of the South I call on the South and the element of Earth to be with me now. I bless and thank Mother Earth for my wonderful, maturing body, for the ground beneath my feet and for the gravity that holds me to you. For my sexuality and all of its gifts, for the pleasure of the sharing of our bodies. For the lessons of loving one another and for our children. For the rocks and the mountains and the flowers and the green growing things. For the food that feeds my inner fire and keeps it burning. For my brothers and sisters and for the two legged, the four legged, the crawlers, the swimmers and the flyers. I bless and thank my serpent in the Earth below me and within my body, for her healing wisdom and her vision that guides me in healing my brothers and sisters. I am one with you, my Mother. I bless the Earth and the South. 'The South, Adolescence, The Importance of Style' 7/23/11 Albert Marsh In the Shaman's view of the four cardinal directions, the South represents adolescence. The season is summer, the hot days and nights between June 22 and September 22. Its element is earth and its color is red, of the blood in our veins and the iron oxide that reddens the earth. A child's body is steadily growing larger. After a few years hair begins to sprout on their bodies and breasts begin to grow on little girl's chests. Their hormone glands are awakening and adolescence is approaching. These changes are puzzling to children, but are scarcely noticed as they are so gradual that they're imperceptible. Their parents are rarely willing to admit that their beloved children are changing, or to prepare them for the years ahead. In aboriginal cultures the beginning of adolescence is celebrated by joyous rituals. Our sexually driven culture immerses these children with glamorous, provocative images that they are eager to adopt themselves as soon as possible at ever younger ages. Our schools are at last providing sex education classes, against the protests of many. Even this last ditch attempt hasn't reduced the number of teen pregnancies. As soon as they can and without guidance from their parents or even with it, they foolishly copy what they've seen in the media. If they've listened to their peers and use birth control, young girls can avoid the burden of becoming teen mothers. Equally uninformed boys certainly can't be counted on to use this precaution. In recent years there has been a rise in mindless teen sexual experimentation of epic proportions. The smart or lucky ones are bright enough to use protection in this and avoid pregnancies and diseases, while love lies bleeding. The teen years abound in dangers and risks, and our culture itself has been degraded by the merchandising of sexual promiscuity, in the movies, on television, in music and in the overwhelming success of the social network. Our society had changed rapidly and the change appears to be speeding up. Fortunately, there are counter trends, and these too are supported by the social network, which provides instant global communication for whatever is happening in world wide. Teens soon discover about love as an aspect of their promiscuity, and first love presents many bewildering questions. For self-centered teens this is often the beginning of maturity and responsibility, but is usually results in heartbreak and ideally a resolve to be a better person the next time. Being accepted into the group is everything to teens. Unfortunate teens with no style sense are "not popular". They may hopefully shine in some other scholastic areas but will have to settle for being the second tier of popularity, if that. The popular ones bond into cliques that frequently show the savage feral traits of pack animals. As a rule, the members don't dare to have friends in the lower popularity groups. Athletes and beautiful girls are the cliché stars of in the proliferation of brainless movies for teens, while nerds, chubby and gays always provide the comedy relief. Teens are the pawns of the glamour media, and to maintain their status are challenged to spot and buy the latest trend, which is always the most expensive thing in the shop. An objective view of this culture gives little hope for the future of these young people. If they don't awaken from their narcissism and insensitivity to others, their lives as adults are guaranteed to be painful and shallow, unless they somehow they're able to awaken from their materialistic trance and seek help in therapeutic counseling or elsewhere. Unfortunately, the rapacious business world is looking for these exact traits in their employees, and many of them rise in their professions, but their relationships with others and their children will suffer if they don’t learn the lesson of independence and responsibility that comes with becoming an adult. There are many intelligent and well-adjusted teens who see through the shallowness of the teen culture. Perhaps their parents are loving and close to their children and the children trust them and listen to their guidance. If this coming to understanding happens while they are adolescents they are way ahead of their peers, and the later stages of their growth as adults and elders will not be so challenging to them. However, they usually are instinctive non-conformists and will have to deal with this materialistic culture clash all their lives. The Hippy revolt in the 60's was an encouraging example of this. Responsibility and self-awareness are assets that will help to make the Adult and Elder transitions easier for them. Most of us remember our teens as happy, carefree days. I remember them as that that as well, but the difficult lessons I've learned since then reveal a different picture. It's human to want to remember the good times, but healing our darker memories is the secret to a good life in the present moment. .